“Oh…the Hero’s army is…”
By the time the onlookers grasped that something was wrong, the scene on the ground had changed completely.
The Hero’s army, which until then had been formed in neat ranks, was beginning to lose its shape.
“You cannot control human movement precisely, as if they were cogs in a machine. Furthermore, the infantry and mages differ both in their equipment weight and their roles. And now the differences are showing themselves.”
The dense formation was also restricting the movements of the soldiers.
As long as they held the initiative and could strike with precision, they were invincible. But due to the sheer scale of the force, once they fell out of rhythm, it became nearly impossible to recover.
“Look, Salia. At the movements of the monsters.”
The dragon god said with a grin as he set his cup of wine to the side.
In response to the demon general’s cry, the monsters swept aside the enemy with their spears. And every time the enemy tried to respond in kind, they withdrew at once.
The humans, who should have been able to march in perfect order due to the power of their god, were now panicking and grinding their teeth.
“Listen. As soon as this battle is finished, you must kill Berganda.”
There was no trace of drunkenness in his cold words. The golden eyes of the dragon looked sharp as he spoke.
“He is no longer just a commander who is loved by his subordinates. Through this battle, he will know true military strategy and know how to direct such a large army. If he is allowed to live, he will greatly benefit the Demon King.”
The dragon god was not looking at the battlefield at all now. He was not even paying attention to the grim-faced Seer.
“…I see. So that is how it is.”
“Dragon God?”
Just as she was about to question him, the demon general’s voice rang by her feet.
‘Whistling arrows! Release the ‘Crows!’’
The shrill cry of crows echoed across the battlefield.
‘Move out! It’s time to lay out their corpses at our feet!’
Berganda roared. The tide of battle was on the verge of turning.
—
The sounds of countless arrows rang in Sheto’s ears. The moment that the sound of the crows reached him, the monsters let out a roar.
The faces of the Hero’s army had been almost entirely expressionless up until now, but they were now showing fear.
As if to take advantage of the moment, the monsters sprang into action. However, their moment was no longer the single-minded advance it had been up until now.
The ogres in the center were not moving. The spellcasters led by Komos were tending to the wounded, while the spears of the goblins formed a protective screen at the front, guarding that opening.
Then, from both ends of the main force, the advance began.
At the very edge of Sheto’s vision, something was colliding violently. The boar units were kicking up clouds of dust, and lizardmen were leaping high above the spear tips.
“Grind them down! Start at the edges and devour them!”
The flanks of the units that had been pushed back until now, aided by the mobility of the fang riders and the lizardmen, began to advance. And they formed a single, continuous wall that sealed off both sides.
“Commander! Shouldn’t we be moving now!?”
“Not yet! Wait a little longer!”
Sensing that something was wrong, the Hero’s army began to edge backward inch by inch. Even so, Berganda kept his arms folded and did not move.
“He…hey?”
“Not yet.”
The demon general brushed Sheto aside and fixed his eyes on the retreating enemy before them.
“How fascinating. When a good strategy allows a smaller force to break a far larger one. It won’t work every time, of course.”
The demon general picked up the axe he had planted on the ground and let out a roar.
“Alright, the time is now! All forces…charge!”